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# Managing Products

# Managing Products

Build your product catalog to speed up invoice creation and maintain consistent pricing.

## What are Products?

Products are items you sell - services, physical products, or digital goods. Creating a product catalog lets you:
- **Quick Invoice Creation**: Select products instead of typing
- **Consistent Pricing**: Same price every time
- **Product Management**: Update prices in one place
- **Inventory Tracking**: Track product usage (if enabled)

## Creating a Product

### Basic Information

1. Go to **Finance** → **Products**
2. Click **"New Product"** or **"Add Product"**
3. Fill in required fields:
   - **Name**: Product or service name
   - **Description**: What the product includes
   - **Price**: Unit price

### Optional Fields

**SKU (Stock Keeping Unit):**
- Product identifier
- Useful for inventory
- Example: "SVC-001", "PROD-WEB"

**Category:**
- Organize products
- Examples: "Services", "Products", "Subscriptions"

**Tax Settings:**
- **Taxable**: Subject to tax
- **Tax Rate**: Tax percentage (if different from default)

**Billing:**
- **One-Time**: Single payment
- **Recurring**: Subscription/recurring billing
- **Frequency**: Monthly, yearly, etc.

## Product Types

### Services

Services you provide:
- **Consulting Services**: Hourly or project-based
- **Marketing Services**: Campaign management
- **Development Services**: Web development, etc.

**Example:**
- Name: "Web Development Package"
- Description: "Custom website development including design and development"
- Price: $5,000.00

### Physical Products

Tangible items you sell:
- **Products**: Physical goods
- **Merchandise**: Branded items
- **Equipment**: Hardware, etc.

**Example:**
- Name: "Software License"
- Description: "Annual software license"
- Price: $1,200.00

### Digital Products

Digital goods:
- **Software**: Licenses, subscriptions
- **Downloads**: Digital files
- **Courses**: Online training

**Example:**
- Name: "Online Course Access"
- Description: "12-month access to online training course"
- Price: $299.00

## Using Products in Invoices

### Adding Products to Invoice

1. **Create Invoice**: Go to Finance → Invoices → New Invoice
2. **Add Product**: Click "Add Product" or "Add from Catalog"
3. **Select Product**: Choose from your catalog
4. **Quantity**: Enter quantity (defaults to 1)
5. **Price**: Auto-fills, can override
6. **Product Added**: Line item created automatically

### Benefits

- **Faster**: No typing product details
- **Accurate**: Prices always correct
- **Consistent**: Same description every time
- **Easy Updates**: Change price in one place, affects future invoices

## Organizing Products

### Categories

Group related products:
1. **Create Categories**: Organize by type
2. **Assign Products**: Add products to categories
3. **Filter by Category**: Find products quickly

**Common Categories:**
- Services
- Products
- Subscriptions
- Add-ons
- Packages

### Tags

Tag products for organization:
- **Industry**: "Healthcare", "Technology"
- **Type**: "Recurring", "One-Time"
- **Status**: "Active", "Discontinued"

## Editing Products

### Update Product Information

1. Go to **Finance** → **Products**
2. Click product name
3. Click **"Edit"**
4. Make changes
5. Save

### Price Updates

**Important**: Price changes affect:
- **Future Invoices**: New invoices use new price
- **Existing Invoices**: Already-created invoices keep original price
- **Recurring Invoices**: May update if configured to

## Deactivating Products

Hide products without deleting:

1. Open product
2. Toggle **"Active"** to OFF
3. Product hidden from catalog
4. Can reactivate later

**Use Cases:**
- Discontinued products
- Seasonal items
- Temporary unavailability

## Deleting Products

**Warning**: Deleting removes product permanently:
1. Open product
2. Click **"Delete"**
3. Confirm deletion
4. Product removed

**Note**: Products used in invoices remain in invoice history but removed from catalog.

## Importing Products

Import from CSV/Excel:

1. Go to **Finance** → **Products**
2. Click **"Import"**
3. Select file
4. Map columns:
   - Name
   - Description
   - Price
   - SKU (optional)
5. Preview
6. Import

## Exporting Products

Export for backup:

1. Go to **Finance** → **Products**
2. Click **"Export"**
3. Choose format (CSV, Excel)
4. Download

## Best Practices

1. **Create Catalog First**: Set up products before invoicing
2. **Use Clear Names**: Descriptive product names
3. **Add Descriptions**: Explain what's included
4. **Set SKUs**: Use consistent SKU format
5. **Organize**: Use categories and tags
6. **Keep Updated**: Update prices as needed
7. **Deactivate, Don't Delete**: Hide unused products

## Common Scenarios

### Service-Based Business

**Products:**
- "Hourly Consulting" - $150/hour
- "Monthly Retainer" - $2,000/month
- "Project Package" - $5,000 one-time

### Product Sales

**Products:**
- "Product A" - $99.00
- "Product B" - $199.00
- "Bundle Package" - $249.00

### Subscription Business

**Products:**
- "Basic Plan" - $29/month
- "Pro Plan" - $99/month
- "Enterprise Plan" - $299/month

## Troubleshooting

**Product not showing in invoice?**
- Verify product is active
- Check product exists
- Refresh page
- Try searching

**Price wrong in invoice?**
- Check product price
- Verify invoice uses product (not custom item)
- Update product price if needed
- Existing invoices keep original price

**Can't delete product?**
- Check if used in invoices
- Remove from invoices first (or keep for history)
- Deactivate instead of delete

For more help, see [Common Issues](../troubleshooting/common-issues.md).

## Next Steps

- [Creating Invoices](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/creating-invoices-e045z0/) - Use products in invoices
- [Payment Processing](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/payment-processing-60tmp6/) - Accept payments
- [Recurring Invoices](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/recurring-invoices-16ghcky/) - Set up subscriptions